Undergradutes: Apply for ASPB’s Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships

The American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) fund promising undergraduate students so they can conduct research in plant biology during the early part of their college careers. SURF recipients must present their research at ASPB’s annual Plant Biology meeting in the year following the fellowship award. Eligibility – Application is open … Read more

Transforming Education in Plant Biology (TEPB)- Request for Proposals

In the United States, the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the National Science Foundation (NSF), and other stakeholders have called for transformation in undergraduate biology education via the Vision and Change report.  The core message of the Vision and Change initiative is a focus on student-centered learning with students as active participants.  Some … Read more

ASPB Education Booth at Plant Biology 2018

At Plant Biology 2018, the ASPB Education and Outreach booth featured a variety of resources for visitors with multiple booth guests sharing helpful teaching tools and outreach activities. Long time education committee member Scott Woody made it across the Canadian border with his FPsc (fast plants, self-compatible) and genetic resources to share with conference attendees. … Read more

One Year After SURF-ing: Students Reflect and Share What’s Next

The ASPB Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF) fund promising undergraduate students so they can conduct research in plant biology during the early part of their college careers. SURF recipients must present their research at ASPB’s annual Plant Biology meeting in the year following the fellowship award. Two 2017 SURF recipients share how their undergraduate research … Read more

ASPB Master Educator Program 2018 Winner

ASPB’s Master Educator Program offers financial support to successful applicants to participate in focused, substantive, and practical professional development with the aim of creating undergraduate plant biology instructional materials aligned with the recommendations of Vision and Change and ASPB’s core concepts in plant biology (http://www.aspb.org/education-outreach/higher-education/). Congratulations to the 2018 winner, Dong Wang (Assistant Professor, Department of … Read more

Plant BLOOME 2018 Winners Announced

ASPB established the Plant Biology Learning Objectives, Outreach Materials & Education (BLOOME) grant program (the name changed over time) with the goal to enhance public awareness and understanding of the essential roles of plants in all areas of life. Congratulations to the three 2018 ASPB Plant BLOOME recipients! Widely Accessible Virtual Reality Exhibits and Workshops … Read more

Join the 2018-2019 Planting Science Master Plant Science Team!

ASPB invites members to join the 2018-2019 PlantingScience Master Plant Science Team. PlantingScience is a free online resource to teachers and schools. The program provides volunteer scientists, resources, and activities to support innovation in teaching, learning, and mentoring. PlantingScience is a learning community where scientists provide online mentorship to student teams as they design and think through their own … Read more

Announcing the 2018 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF)

The ASPB Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) program funds promising undergraduate students so they can conduct research in plant biology during the early part of their college careers over the course of 10 consecutive weeks. This year’s SURF recipients will present their research at Plant Biology 2019. Congratulations to these 2018 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows … Read more

ASPB Education & Outreach Booth Takes Visitors into the World of Plants at USA Science and Engineering Festival

ASPB’s Education and Outreach Committee hosted an outreach booth at the 5th USA Science & Engineering Festival (USASEF) in Washington, DC on April 6-8, 2018. Held at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, the event brought in over 370,000 visitors and occupied 2.3 million square feet of convention space. The Festival drew a large, diverse … Read more

ASPB Educational Outreach: A Rockstar Booth at NSTA 2018

The ASPB Education Committee hosted an Education & Outreach booth at the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA) Conference in Atlanta, Georgia during March 15th– March 17th, 2018. Located at the Georgia World Congress Center, the booth was organized by ASPB Education Committee member Scott Woody and ASPB Education Coordinator Winnie Nham. Local volunteers helping to … Read more

Research Coordination Networks in Undergraduate Biology Education (RCN-UBE): Call for Proposals

RCN-UBE (NSF 18-510) is designed to enhance undergraduate biology education using networks of faculty and professionals to communicate and coordinate their research, training, and educational activities. The theme of RCN-UBE proposals can be on any topic likely to enhance undergraduate biology education. RCN-UBE provides opportunities to: foster new collaborations address interdisciplinary topics explore innovative ideas … Read more

Incorporating Venus Flytraps into K-12 STEM Curriculum

Simran Kaur, Sreyashi Ghosh, Juliet Malkowski, and Aileen Wu, high school students at Princeton High School, recently presented at the ASPB Mid-Atlantic conference under the auspices of the ASPB BLOOME Grant, headed by educator Mark Eastburn. They weigh in on their research and bringing STEM to the K-12 classroom below: In a collaboration between researchers … Read more

DC Teachers’ Night at the U.S. Botanic Garden: An Evening Filled with Plant-astic ASPB Outreach Activities

On September 22, ASPB participated in an evening of outreach at the United States Botanical Garden in Washington, D.C., as an exhibitor at the annual D.C. Teachers’ Night hosted by USBG and the District of Columbia Environmental Education Consortium. The evening features dozens of exhibitors with hands-on activities, lesson plans, and resources for K-12 teachers … Read more

Scientists Urgently Needed to Mentor Students Online

PlantingScience.org is seeking scientists (undergraduates through retired/emeritus) willing to mentor middle and high school students this fall (Sept – Nov). We expect over 1000 student teams and we don’t have enough mentors to work with them all! Mentors work online with 1-3 teams of students to help them design and carry out investigations on a … Read more

GMOs! (Science IRL S3 Ep6)

How are genetically modified organisms (GMOs) made? Are they safe to eat? Follow along with Molly Edwards, the creator of Science In Real Life (IRL), as she heads to the Van Eck Lab at the Boyce Thompson Institute and demystifies GMOs by showing how they’re made in the lab and discussing their safety to consumers. Molly is a recipient … Read more

Join the 2017-2018 PlantingScience Master Plant Science Team

Are you a graduate student or post-doctoral researcher interested in a chance to get involved and trained in K-12 outreach?  Would you like to mentor student research teams, without ever leaving your desk?  Do you have the time to commit to mentor 2-3 teams in BOTH the Fall and Spring PlantingScience Sessions?  ASPB invites its members to join … Read more

ASPB Announces Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship 2017 Recipients

Rockville, MD (June 1, 2017) Fifteen students mentored by members of the American Society of Plant Biologists (ASPB) were selected to receive the 2017 ASPB Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowships (SURF). The $4,000 fellowship permits each student to devote full-time effort to his or her research project for a 10-week period during the summer. The award … Read more

Announcing the 2017 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF)

The ASPB Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows (SURF) program funds promising undergraduate students so they can conduct research in plant biology during the early part of their college careers over the course of 10 consecutive weeks. This year’s SURF recipients will present their research at Plant Biology 2018. Congratulations to these 2017 Summer Undergraduate Research Fellows … Read more

Corvallis USDA ARS participates in International Fascination of Plants Day

The USDA ARS Corvallis, Oregon stations participated in International Fascination of Plants Day (FoPD) on June 18, 2016. This activity was launched under the umbrella of the European Plant Science Organisation (ESPO) in cooperation with the American Society of Plant Biologists. The goal of FoPD is to show all the different ways plants play roles … Read more

NSF to Update Merit Review Procedures – Impact on Broader Impacts?

NSF is offering a draft of a new Proposal and Award Policies Procedure Guide. The guide is expected to ‘go live’ in January 2017.  An active leader in the National Alliance for Broader Impacts recently noted that this proposed guide has some subtle yet rather interesting changes in the merit review wording. The biggest question … Read more